<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Out in the fields by HogarPlinth</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28529013">Out in the fields</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HogarPlinth/pseuds/HogarPlinth'>HogarPlinth</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Carmilla (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Mystery, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:22:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,176</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28529013</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HogarPlinth/pseuds/HogarPlinth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Laura and Carmilla prepare to meet a new client and take on a new case.<br/>What will the client ask of them?<br/>Can they solve the mystery?<br/>Will they survive the countryside?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Laura Hollis/Carmilla Karnstein</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. I</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I started what became the middle chapters of this tale back in 2018, so now I have added this introduction. So here we go...</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><b>I</b><br/>
Moonlight floods the room through the open curtains, highlighting the open pages of the books. There were books everywhere in the room, most were lined up neatly on tall shelves that extended to the ceiling, many were scattered on the desktop, the two small tables, the chairs and even the windowsills. The room’s owner had used every flat surface in the room to store books, there were also piles of books on the floor where the space on other surfaces had run out.</p><p>The books were of all shapes and sizes, from fine tomes bound in leather their titles proudly displayed with gold letters, smaller books more cheaply bound, to collections of pages roughly bound simply to keep them together. Among them loose pages and sheets of paper were trapped between the books and scattered on the desk.</p><p>The desk, tables and bookshelves are well made from dark wood, made darker from age and continual use. The wood has been carved with exquisite detail and in places there are fine inlays of a lighter wood. The moonlight has darkened them in contrast to the brightness of the open pages. Where there is space between the piles of books portions of an oriental rug peek out providing the only splashes of color in the room.</p><p>This is not a room just to store books, but a room to study them and to search for some meaning hidden among their many pages. Most of the books have numerous page markers sticking out from them.</p><p>A woman enters the study, closing the door behind her after checking to see is she was observed opening the door. She quickly crosses the room and sits behind the desk. She switches on the desk lamp to examine the books and loose papers on the desk. She rifles through the pages and books quickly, stopping to closely examine one before discarding it looking at another, only a few of the papers seem to meet with her approval. She soon has a small pile of papers gathered to one side.</p><p>She pauses in her search as she hears something outside the study, she picks up her stack of papers and a small book stuffs them into her purse and placing it on the floor before the door opens and a man bursts in switching on the lights.</p><p>“Astrid, what are you doing in here?” He shouts at her whilst looking at the desecration of his study, she has moved his papers and notes. “Keep your hands off my work!”</p><p>“I’m trying to help you, Jonathon, I’m trying to put a stop to all of this madness”</p><p>“It’s not madness it’s destiny! You can’t stop destiny! You can’t help me, I don’t need help, you don’t understand”</p><p>“Jonathon please”</p><p>“No. Get out now”</p><p>She gets up for the desk, picks up her purse and storms towards the door. “This isn’t over” she says as she reaches the door.</p><p>He reaches out and grasps her upper arm. “You’re too late, far too late”</p><p>She shakes herself free and walks away. He follows her down the ill lit corridor towards the entrance hall.</p><p>At the front door she turns one last time to look at him “You can stop this at any time” she says calmly</p><p>He just laughs at her. So, she turns away and heads outside.</p><p>The woman leaves though ornate front portico of the ivy-covered building, storms down the steps and across the gravel driveway to the BMW that is waiting outside the house. She opens the door and looks back at Jonathon before getting in.</p><p>The car starts up, the lights illuminate the overgrown lawns and ragged topiary before it accelerates away, scattering gravel across the driveway and heads towards the gateway and into the night.</p><p>The man stands in the doorway, outlined by the house lights, he watches as she drives away. He is joined by another figure in the doorway.</p><p>“Magus, is it wise to let her go? Who knows what secrets she may have stolen?”</p><p>“Calm yourself, Stefan. The important papers are protected by a ‘Guardian’ which will protect them from the unbelievers and will bring Astrid back to us.”</p><p>“We could have bent her will to the cause, she would have been a useful ally”</p><p>“You are correct Stefan, it is a pity that we did not have time to properly train her mind, but the Great Re-Joining is too important an undertaking for such distractions and we are only days away from the final ceremony.”</p><p>Jonathon takes one last look before shutting the door and plunging the driveway and lawns into darkness.</p><p>Meanwhile in an apartment not too far away…</p><p>The credits rolled up the screen briefly before a soft click powers off the TV. Carmilla looks down at Laura who is cuddled up against her fast asleep. She gently strokes Laura’s hair letting the girl sleep for a bit longer before deciding that waking her now will be better than a stiff and grumpy Laura in the morning.</p><p>Carmilla yawns and stretches extravagantly. She glances at Laura and sees that she is still asleep despite her movement, so she gives her a shake to wake her.</p><p>“OK, that’s the last episode, cupcake, we have that client meeting first thing the morning”.</p><p>Laura blinks herself awake and noticing the dark TV screen “Hey I was watching that!”</p><p>“You are really cute when you’re asleep and you missed at least half of that last episode”</p><p>She looks over at Laura who was pouting. “We can watch more episodes tomorrow. But we need to put on our ‘A’ game for this meeting in the morning. So, go get your beauty sleep. Batwoman will still be there tomorrow. Come on” Carmilla leans across and kisses Laura before standing up, taking Laura by the hand, and gently pulling her to her feet and leading her to their bedroom.</p><p>The next morning Laura is already finishing her breakfast when Carmilla enters the kitchen grumbling to herself, mornings are not her favorite time of the day.</p><p>“Morning Carm, are you ready? We have to go in twenty minutes” Laura say brightly packing up her breakfast things.</p><p>Carmilla does not immediately reply, she just opens the fridge, takes out a carton and drinks from it. She puts down the carton and absent mindedly wipes a few drops of red from her lips. “I am now cutie, are you?”</p><p>“You can’t meet a client dressed like that!” the look of horror on Laura’s face makes Carmilla smile before she looks down slightly confused at her slightly faded band t-shirt, ripped black jeans and scuffed boots. Laura by contrast is in her ‘business’ suit, with her best white blouse.</p><p>“Please Carm”</p><p>“Just because she’s rich doesn’t make her better than us. I was a countess remember”</p><p>“For me, please”</p><p>Carmilla can’t resist Laura’s pouting and returns to the bedroom to find an outfit that will be more ‘client friendly’. When she returns, she is wearing her black suit with a plain white T-shirt under the jacket, her hands in her pants pockets, she finds Laura holding her bag and chewing her lip.</p><p>“Better cupcake?”  she asks, Laura walks over to her smiling, kisses her “much better, shall we go?”</p><p>Carmilla hugs Laura for a few seconds, returns the kiss and leads the way out of their apartment.</p><p>When they get to their office Laura drops her bag behind her desk and immediately looks around their office and notices the loose files and the whiteboard covered in notes and diagrams and other signs of recent activity. A quick glance at the clock tells her that they have 10 minutes before the client is due. She rushes around picking up the loose files and hiding them away in a drawer.</p><p>“Carm, can you clean the whiteboard, I’ll try and clean up this place” Carmilla stops her just as she is about to rush off to find something else to tidy.</p><p>“Calm down cupcake, it should look as if we actually do work here and not like a showroom.”</p><p>Laura takes a deep breath “OK, look calm now”</p><p>Carmilla chuckles and begins cleaning the whiteboard turning the notes into a series of colorful smears. She stands back to admire her ‘artwork’.</p><p>Laura refills the coffee machine and switches it on, then she smells the milk in the minifridge is check if it is fresh enough to use. She takes Carmilla’s drinks cartons out of the office fridge.</p><p>“Put these in the other fridge and check on Laf will you, make sure that they are not going to be experimenting this morning. Or at least nothing loud, smelly or involving burning.”</p><p>“That does not leave a lot for them to do cupcake” Carmilla responds as she takes her drink cartons, shaking each one to check their volume and freshness.</p><p>Laura pouts.</p><p>“OK, I’ll warn them. We’ll go through the notes we have on the client when I come back” she says raising a carton to her lips before heading to the small room that Lafontaine uses as a makeshift laboratory.</p><p>Laura is sitting behind her desk when she returns, Carmilla also notices that the whiteboard is now free of the colored smears she made. She catches Laura’s guilty expression and raises an eyebrow.</p><p>“Well, I thought it looked untidy” and Laura returns her attention to her laptop to hide her blushing “and please sit down, I’ll go through what we know about our client.” Laura adds seeing that Carmilla is still standing and taking apparently taking offense at the cleanliness of the office.</p><p>Reluctantly Carmilla sits down and rolls her chair next to Laura’s so she can focus on the laptop screen.</p><p>“OK, so Miss Astrid Fanshaw of the Maine Fanshaws, apparently they are something important in the rich persons social scene. The Fanshaws are rich and powerful and have been a feature locally since Independence.”</p><p>“Countess, remember” Carmilla points to herself.</p><p>“Astrid and older her brother are at the top of the family tree at the moment.” Laura continues.</p><p>“No parents?”</p><p>“No, their parents died in a car crash about five years ago and all the family interests went to Astrid and her brother.”</p><p>“Both of them, that’s oddly modern thinking. I would have thought that the brother would have got everything.”</p><p>“Yes, there was a bit of gossip about that when it was announced, but it was all according to their father’s will which was not publicly contested. There is a family run company, Astrid and her brother Jonathan have a controlling interest. Astrid seems to do the day-to-day running of the company. The brother is a bit of a recluse and has dropped out of sight during the last couple of years and is not on social media. There isn’t much I could find out about him except his education, private schools, Ivy League university where he studied classics.”</p><p>“Anything else?”</p><p>There is also a lot of property, Astrid has a place here in the city, a home in the Hamptons plus a house in L.A. There is also an older house in the country that looks as if it is where Jonathon stays.”</p><p>“So, what does she want with us?”</p><p>“She want’s our help with a family matter, and that our discretion is needed.”</p><p>“We don’t do divorces!”</p><p>“I asked, it’s not but she would not say what it is over the phone”</p><p>“Old families have old secrets, cupcake. There must be a skeleton or two in the family closet somewhere. Let’s see how much she is prepared to tell us.”</p><p>As the clock’s digits change to read 9:30, there is a knock on the door.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. II</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The client visits to outline their case and leaves an unpleasant surprise.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>II</b>
</p>
<p>The door opens and in walks Astrid Fanshaw, Laura recognizes her immediately from the social media images she has been studying. From the top of her perfectly arranged hair to the soles of her Jimmy Choos, she is every inch the powerful businesswoman ready to rule any room she walks into. She quickly assesses the two women sat at the desk in front of her. Something inside her warns her about the dark haired one.</p>
<p>She squared her shoulders and walked over to the desk.</p>
<p>“Astrid Fanshaw”</p>
<p>As she walks over Laura and Carmilla rise to greet their visitor. Laura makes the introductions. Miss Fanshaw hands over a business card.</p>
<p>“Miss Fanshaw, I’m Laura Hollis and this is my partner Carmilla Karnstein, please take a seat.”</p>
<p>Laura waited until Miss Fanshaw was seated before continuing.</p>
<p>“How can Hollis and Karnstein be of assistance?”</p>
<p>Astrid Fanshaw shifts in her seat and looks around as if unsure of where to begin. </p>
<p>“I always thought of private detectives as having grubby offices” She began addressing Laura.</p>
<p>“Well, we do try to buck the trend” replied Laura.</p>
<p>Carmilla just studies the woman, not sure of how deal with her just yet. It was not just the clothes and the attitude, but she felt there was something ‘odd’ about her. The comment about the office was obviously designed to draw a reaction and put them on the defensive.</p>
<p>“As I mentioned over the phone this is a family matter. I’m concerned about my brother. I fear that he has become in involved in some sort of weird cult. He has been spending too much time secluded in his house, he has not been talking to anyone in the family and has been alienating his few remaining friends.</p>
<p>I want you to find out what is behind his strange behavior so that I can put a stop to it.”</p>
<p>“What other indications do you have that’ he’s in a cult. Has he talked about the cult or it’s beliefs?” Laura asks.</p>
<p>While Miss Fanshaw and Laura were talking Carmilla studies the woman, she thought she could see something at the edge of her vision moving around the woman’s purse.</p>
<p>“He has been obsessing over a relative, Charles Fanshaw, who apparently vanished without trace from the family home during the late nineteenth century. Jonathon felt that Charles was privy to some sort of secret knowledge, and he wanted to find it. It does sounds silly when I talk to someone else about it. But this was all he would talk about, the secret this, the secret that, looking for the secret, and searching through Charles’ archives.”</p>
<p>“Where was he searching for these archives?”</p>
<p>Yes, Carmilla thought there is definitely something moving, something unnatural.</p>
<p>“There is a large library at the old house in the country. Jonathon wanted it when our parents died. I found it too stuffy for my tastes, so he was welcome to it.”</p>
<p>“And you think that he has been searching that library for any papers that your ancestor Charles may have left behind?”</p>
<p>“Why us? There are other investigators with less ‘grubby’ offices available to a woman with your resources” Cut in Carmilla.</p>
<p>Miss Fanshaw looks shocked both at the interruption and that she would have to interact with the woman.</p>
<p>“We are investigators and did our due diligence!” Carmilla presses the woman.</p>
<p>Miss Fanshaw recovers quickly and looks back towards Laura before answering “You came highly recommended as people who could deal with the more unusual cases and the there is this!”</p>
<p>Miss Fanshaw reaches into her purse and pulls out a small, battered leather bound journal holding it through a handkerchief. Carmilla tries to school her expression as she forces herself to look at the book. She can see an aura pulsing about the journal, with tendrils reaching out, exploring the room now that it is free of the purse. She can see thick tendrils stretching back towards Miss Fanshaw wrapping themselves about her arm and reaching up to her neck. </p>
<p>Miss Fanshaw reaches into her purse again and adds a small collection of papers to the journal. Carmilla can see that these too have an aura although not as strong as the one surrounding the journal.</p>
<p>“I took these from Jonathon’s study the last time I saw him. I could not get him to see sense and we parted on the worst of terms.</p>
<p>He accused me of the most terrible things and said he never wanted to see me again and that I would be sorry when he gained the power that was coming to him.”</p>
<p>“And those were exact his words?” asked Laura.</p>
<p>“Yes, and it troubled me deeply, it did not sound like him.”</p>
<p>“Can we study the journal and the papers?” </p>
<p>“Yes, I’ll be glad to let them go. I can’t bear to touch them, it feels as if they are haunting me, I feel uneasy just having them near me.”</p>
<p>“Just leave them on the desk, we’ll need to use the proper procedures to handle old fragile documents such as these. We would not want to damage them. We’ll get back to you if we discovery anything in these documents” Prompted Carmilla.</p>
<p>Carmilla studied the book and papers as Miss Fanshaw left them on the desk. The auras surround them remained pulsing on the desk. The tentacles slowly let go of Miss Fanshaw and began reaching out across the desk. Carmilla edges slowly away from the desk.</p>
<p>“So, you will take the investigation?” Miss Fanshaw asked hopefully.</p>
<p>Laura glances at Carmilla who nods in agreement before Laura answers.</p>
<p>“Yes, we will although it does not sound as if he is involved in cult. I’ll have a standard contract sent over for you to sign and we’ll be in touch.”</p>
<p>“Excellent, thank you” say Miss Fanshaw as she rises.</p>
<p>Carmilla and Laura rise and follow Miss Fanshaw to the door where they bid her goodbye. Carmilla takes a glance back to checks on the documents on their desk, the auras are still glowing, and the tentacles are still reaching out and probing the desk.</p>
<p>When Miss Fanshaw has departed Laura turns to Carmilla. What’s going on? It was as if you could not get rid of her fast enough.”</p>
<p>“We need Laf and then I’ll explain” and she leads them into Laf’s lab. </p>
<p>As they open the door, they bump in to Laf who is rushing out, their face bright with excitement.</p>
<p>“Wow did you see that? Some of those readings were off the chart!!” they exclaim as they skid to a halt in front of Laura and Carmilla.</p>
<p>Laura splutters “See what? Where is the chart?”</p>
<p>Laf calms down a bit now that they have Carmilla and Laura’s full attention. “I may have reset the security cameras to record additional spectra I wanted to record people’s auras for science. That last woman was off the charts.”</p>
<p>Laura is still confused “Wait, we have a security camera?”</p>
<p>“Of course. L, it’s standard in most business premises” they explain trying to avoid eye contact with Carmilla.</p>
<p>“OK here have a look at these. They fiddle with their tablet and eventually show some movie clips.</p>
<p>“This is Perry and that’s you Laura, see fairly normal images.” The tablet shows figures walking up to the office door surrounded by a faint purplish glow.</p>
<p>“and this is Karnstein, normal for a vampire I suppose” This clip shows Carmilla walking up to the door surrounded by a cold white outline.</p>
<p>“but this is that strange woman that came in this morning.” </p>
<p>“Valued client” insists Laura.</p>
<p>“Wait till you see this L.”</p>
<p>The clip of Miss Fanshaw walking tup to the office door shows her with the purple glow but also as a collection of green waving arms like she had a spectral octopus sat on her shoulders. But as she approaches the door to the office the tentacles retreat into her purse.</p>
<p>“Urrgh creepy” Laura retreats from the tablet a bit and hugs Carmilla.</p>
<p>“Do you have a picture of her leaving?” asks Carmilla.</p>
<p>“One sec here she is, ooh that’s odd no tentacle monster” Laf shows another movie clip on their tablet. The clip shows Miss Fanshaw with just her ‘normal’ purple aura.</p>
<p>“Hey where did the tentacle monster go?” Laf waves the tablet about.</p>
<p>Carmilla just raises an eyebrow knowingly and turns her head to look towards the office.</p>
<p>“Excellent question Frankenstein, can you quickly take images of us now.”</p>
<p>Laf shoos them out into the corridor and into range of the camera. While the three of them are huddled in the corridor they get their tablet to show the ‘live’ feed from the camera. The three of them are there with their auras.</p>
<p>“Look, no tentacle monster!” Laf waves the tablet in front of them triumphantly.</p>
<p>“Great Laf, now can you then turn that camera to see into the office, we need to find that thing” Carmilla demands.</p>
<p>“Ok, OK!” and they rush off back to the lab and return with a small set of ladders. They scramble up the ladders and descend with a small camera. They pull a roll of tape from their pocket and fix the camera on to the edge of the partially opened door.</p>
<p>“L can you move the camera when I say” Laf checks the camera feed on their tablet. Carmilla leans in to get a closer look.</p>
<p>Laf and Laura fiddle with the camera position until Carmilla is satisfied that the feed is showing the desk, the documents, and the tentacles. </p>
<p>“Hold it there, L” Laf fixes the camera in place with more tape and rushes into the lab to check the feed on the computer in there.</p>
<p>“Great, you can monitor the tentacle monster from in there. I’ll keep an eye on it from here” Laf indicates the computer in their lab.</p>
<p>Carmilla and Laura squeeze into the lab trying not to get too close to anything that Laf has left lying on worktops. Laura tries not to think what these things are.</p>
<p>“Carm, what is that thing? Is it dangerous?”</p>
<p>“In order, I don’t know and probably yes. I think it is related to the book and not our client. From what she was saying it is to keep people away from the book. I could see the tentacles reaching out for Astrid.”</p>
<p>Laf comes in, heads to a corner and roots through some drawers. “excuse me guys” before dashing out with a long rod and a few smaller tools.</p>
<p>“Do we keep going with the case?”</p>
<p>“Yes, cupcake I want word with whoever let’s this sort of thing loose into the world.”</p>
<p>On the screen unnoticed by Laura or Carmilla a long rod is extended towards the tentacles and prods them. The tentacles ignore the rod.</p>
<p>“Who could have done it, Carm?”</p>
<p>“My first thought is either the brother Jonathon or whoever is influencing him.”</p>
<p>The computer screen shows the rod advancing towards the tentacles a second time, now at the end of the rod is a burning splint of wood. The tentacles are not affected by the burning wood.</p>
<p>“So, how do we approach this case?” </p>
<p>“Well, we need more information about what we are getting into. Who are the Fanshaws? We need to know more about Jonathon. What is the story about this ancestor who vanished?”</p>
<p>The door crashes open as Laf rushes in “Guys, you have to see this! Watch the monitor” and then they rush out again. Carmilla and Laura stop and stare in amazement before turning to look at the monitor.</p>
<p>The rod again advances towards the desk, this time at the end of the rod is a small device with protruding metal prongs.</p>
<p>When the rod reaches the tentacles there is a spark and the tentacles retreat away from the prod.</p>
<p>Laura is horrified and shouts through the doorway “What are you doing?”</p>
<p>“Scientific inquiry, L. We need to find out more about this thing.” Laf returns to the lab carrying the rod and their tools.</p>
<p>“If it is sensitive to electricity, perhaps we can herd it into an electrified cage and keep in there.”</p>
<p>“But only I can see it” Carmilla points out not unreasonably.</p>
<p>“OK I’ll sort that out first. I’ll set up your phone cameras to see the same spectrum as the security camera. Then they can be used as goggles.</p>
<p>I’ll need some supplies and a few hours to build the cage. You guys can hang about here or go work elsewhere.”</p>
<p>“All of our stuff is in there with that thing” Laura objects.</p>
<p>“The prod is over there, feel free to use it” Laf points at the makeshift cattle prod and returns to their computer.</p>
<p>Carmilla snatches up the prod and stalks out “Come on Cupcake we have to rescue our stuff”.</p>
<p>Laura follows her into the corridor.</p>
<p>“OK, I’ll keep it away while you quickly grab your stuff.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure?”</p>
<p>“So long as you stay away from the book you should be OK. Stay behind me until I say.”</p>
<p>Carmilla enters the office brandishing the prod like a spear, with Laura huddled close behind her. She can see the thing on the book, its tentacles moving about probing the desk. As they get closer the tentacles begin to move in their direction.</p>
<p>“What do you need Cupcake?” Carmilla whispers.</p>
<p>“My bag and the laptop”</p>
<p>“When I say, run and grab them and then get out.”</p>
<p>Laura gives a very quiet “OK.”</p>
<p>Carmilla advances and shocks the thing and watches it flinch away from the prod “Go.”</p>
<p>Laura rushes around the desk, grabs her bag and slings it over her shoulder, she grabs her laptop and slaps the screen shut. She glances up at Carmilla before heading back around the desk. As she gets around the desk the charger cable reaches its full extension and pulls the laptop from her grasp. Laura turns and catches her hip on the corner of the desk and stumbles, falling onto the desktop. Her laptop clatters and skids away from her across the desk.</p>
<p>The tentacles react to the disturbance and reach out towards Laura. Laura screams as she feels the tentacle wrap itself around her outstretched arm.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. IIb</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After dealing with the unexpected present left by the client, Laura and Carmilla gain some background information on the client's brother before heading out into the countryside to meet him.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>IIb</b>
</p>
<p>Laura lay sprawled across the desk after her fall, staring at the old journal Astrid Fanshaw has left with them. She could imagine the tentacles she knew to be attached to the journal reaching out towards her, getting closer and closer by the second. She screams as she feels the tentacle wrap itself around her outstretched arm.</p>
<p>Carmilla dashes forward with her cattle prod when she sees Laura fall and the tentacles reach out for her. She jabs the prod at the tentacles and is relieved that they recoil from the sparks, then she hauls Laura to her feet before grabbing the fallen laptop.</p>
<p>Laura recovers her footing and runs out of the room and calls back “Come on Carm I’m out.”</p>
<p>Carmilla backs of the room keeping the prod between her and the thing. Laura is in the corridor leaning against a wall breathing hard.</p>
<p>“You OK, cutie?” Laura nods. Carmilla puts down the prod and hugs her, feeling Laura shivering she strokes her back. “You’re safe now” she says quietly. Laura pulls her tighter, burying her face against Carmilla her tears soaking into Carmilla’s t-shirt.</p>
<p>Carmilla holds her until the tears stop. “I’ve got you, you’re safe” she repeats. Laura lifts her head and whispers “thank you” before kissing her.</p>
<p>“Ready?”</p>
<p>Laura nods.</p>
<p>“Laf, we’re off to the bar. Are you going to be OK with this thing in here?” Carmilla calls as they head out.</p>
<p>“Cool, see you later” is the only reply she gets.</p>
<p>The short walk to the bar in the fresh air and the sunshine lifts Laura’s mood and she has almost banished thoughts of tentacle monsters from her mind when they reach the bar. Carmilla opens the door for her and they step inside.</p>
<p>Once inside the bar Laura heads for what she thinks of as ‘their’ booth and sets up her laptop on the table trying to ignore the shadows that make the bar gloomy. They seem more numerous today darkening not only the back of the bar but also the area near the door.</p>
<p>While Carmilla chats with Mike at the counter Laura tries to add to her meagre pool of knowledge about Jonathon Fanshaw. She quickly locates his home, Fanshaw Hall which is about an hour’s drive away near a town called Harburg in a very rural part of the state. Looking over she see that Carmilla and Mike are having an animated conversation that looks as if it could go on for a while.</p>
<p>She then turns to the relative who vanished, Charles Fanshaw. He seems to have been a more prominent figure, at least in his early years. There are enough records of him so that after a lot of searching she has enough to give Carmilla a summary of his life and times. Leaning back in the booth she signs and tries to stretch out the ache in her neck from being hunched over the keyboard.</p>
<p>When she looks across the bar Carmilla is approaching with what smells like a cup of hot chocolate. When Carmilla sets the cup down Laura immediately takes a big sip, she has earned this.</p>
<p>She looks up at Carmilla and smiles “Sit down and I’ll give you the key highlights of life of Charles Fanshaw. Carmilla sits next to her and kisses her “That’s my Cupcake.”</p>
<p>“He was born in June 1839 at Fanshaw Hall and was educated locally. There’s not much about his childhood. He worked briefly for his father before volunteering during the Civil War. He served as an infantry officer and then a staff officer. </p>
<p>Here’s a picture of him taken during the war. He looks a bit like Jonathon.”</p>
<p>“So, a war hero!”</p>
<p>“Not exactly Carm, more like an Army bureaucrat.</p>
<p>After leaving the army, he stayed in New Orleans for a few years before returning north in 1868. At this point references to him become fewer.</p>
<p>There is a newspaper report of him receiving a visit by a famous anthropologist Dr. Sebastian Harrington in 1871.</p>
<p>There are some comments about construction work at the hall in mid-1874. Which is pretty much the last mention of Charles Fanshaw. There is nothing after August 1874, there are references to a police investigation, but I can’t find any details. The family held a funeral for him early in 1875.”</p>
<p>Carmilla leans back in her seat “Well done cutie. So, we have one recluse trying to get information about another recluse. We need to read those documents that the client left us and then pay Jonathon a visit.”</p>
<p>“Yes, if we can snatch them away from the creature. Can you find out what it is?”</p>
<p>“I’ve asked Mike about it; he thinks he might know someone who could help us. Until then we have to hope Laf can put something together.”</p>
<p>They sit in the gloom of the bar while Laura finishes her hot chocolate. Carmilla watches as the shadows move slowly around the ceiling congregating in the corners. When she realizes that Laura hasn’t moved in a while she reaches for her hand and turns towards her.</p>
<p>“Are you finished? I want to get back before Laf does anything too crazy.”</p>
<p>“I saw you looking at those shadows, what are they?</p>
<p>“That’s a tale for another day, creampuff, come on let’s get back but first I want to change out of these clothes.”</p>
<p>“OK, but I do like you in that suit.”</p>
<p>”But It’s not the best for fighting tentacle monsters, come on.”</p>
<p>Laura packs up her things, they wave goodbye Mike and head off back to their apartment before returning to the office.</p>
<p>“Will it be safe to scan the pages?” Laura asks on their trip back.</p>
<p>“Yes, but we may have to destroy the scanner if it becomes contaminated.”</p>
<p>When they return to the lab, there is a spark as Laf is testing one of their cattle prods, they suck their fingers where the spark has burnt them. “Oh, hi guys, I’ve just finished this one and the others are over there and they’re ready to go”. They put the prod down with the others that they’ve made.</p>
<p>I’ll need your phone L” Laura hands over her phone reluctantly and watches as Laf plugs it into their computer and installs something. Laf then fits the phone to what looks like a set of diver’s goggles. “There you go L, put them on.”</p>
<p>Laura nervously puts on the goggles and lowers them over her face. She blinks at the image on the phone screen.</p>
<p>“Can you see me L?” Laf waves their hands in front of Laura’s goggles.</p>
<p>Laura nods “and I can see your aura.”</p>
<p>Laf hangs another set of goggles around their neck and throws a pair of bright yellow rubber gloves to Carmilla.<br/>“Oh, and your posh client dropped off the signed contracts” they indicate a large envelope on the workbench. Laura opens the envelope and quickly scans the documents.<br/>“Well, we have a paying client for all of this.”<br/>“Great, I’ll need your help with this Karnstein” Laf indicates a wheeled dolly with a wire cage sat on it, there is long electrical cable snaking away from the cage. The cage is about two feet long and a bit taller and wider and it stands on four rubber feet. The top face is hinged open.</p>
<p>“Careful, it’s live” they say as Carmilla reaches for the cage.</p>
<p>Carmilla pauses and glares at Laf before she hurriedly dons the gloves and touches the cage.</p>
<p>“So, what’s the plan?”</p>
<p>“We use the prods to force it into the cage, then close the lid. The current in the cage should keep it contained.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure this will work?” asks a worried Laura.</p>
<p>“Pretty sure L” and puts their goggles over their face “Let’s get this show on the road. Laura you’ve got the cable.”</p>
<p>Laura follows Laf and Camilla playing out more cable as they maneuver the cage out of the lab and into the office. When she enters the office, she gasps as she can see the tentacles writhing on her desk.</p>
<p>Laf and Carmilla push the cage next to the desk close to where the book is resting. Laf ties a piece of string to the lid of the cage and walks around the desk until they are opposite the cage. The tentacles reach for the cage and recoil when one touches the cage.</p>
<p>“Carmilla you take this side, L you go that side. We’ll zap it until it is in the cage then I’ll shut the lid.”</p>
<p>Carmilla raises and eyebrow “Just like that, hey.” </p>
<p>“Yes, Karnstein. Are you ready?”</p>
<p>Both Carmilla and Laura nod. Laf then pokes the creature with their prod and all three watch as it flinches from the sparks. Carmilla pokes it and the tentacles move away from her. Laura stands open-mouthed as the tentacled thing is poked and zapped.</p>
<p>When Laf prods it a third time the creature’s response is slower and when Carmilla pokes at it again it hardly moves.</p>
<p>“Laf, can you try pushing it off the desk” Laf pushes at the thing and slowly it moves away from the book, Carmilla adds her prod to the effort and between them they shove the thing onto the cage. Laf pulls the string and the lid drops closed.</p>
<p>They watch the thing lies unmoving at the bottom of the cage, now that they can see it clearly it is just a set of tentacles and does not have a body or anything that can be identified as a body. Laf takes the phone off their goggles and takes images of the creature. Laura jumps as a tentacle reaches out towards the desk but is repelled by the cage.</p>
<p>As they watch the tentacle monster gets smaller and smaller as if it is wasting away before their eyes. Its movements get fewer and weaker. After a few minutes in the cage, it is only about a foot across and completely stationary. Eventually, it shrivels up and fades away to nothing.</p>
<p>“Ahh it’s died, the poor thing” Laura sighs.</p>
<p>“it’s a weird spectral parasite that took over our client and your sorry for it!” snaps Carmilla.</p>
<p>“We did kill it!” retorts Laura.</p>
<p>“Do you think there are more of them? Did we wipe out an entire species?” Laura asks rather more calmly.</p>
<p>“That is a good question, cupcake. Hopefully, the book it was guarding has some answers. Can you get the scanner?”</p>
<p>Laura locates the scanner in a cupboard and tries to suppress a giggle as Carmilla and Laf argue over rubber gloves. Eventually Laf hands over their black gloves and take Carmilla’s yellow ones. With her new gloves on Carmilla turns, hands on hips, to look at a sniggering Laura, she raises an eyebrow as if to say ‘what?’ </p>
<p>Taking care to only touch the journal with the gloves, they scan the pages into the Laptop and save a copy to their cloud account. As the pages are scanned in Laura makes notes of a few pages to study later, she also notes that some pages that have comments written on them in a different style. </p>
<p>“Well, it looks like a diary of sorts written by Charles Fanshaw” Laura reads the opening entries.</p>
<p>
  <i>I have decided to write of my experiences since that day in New Orleans when I found the book. There are very few days when I am fully aware of what is happening, I awake unsure of the day with my body still exhausted from activity of which I have no recall.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>I tried to remember where I had stumbled upon the book. We were examining an old plantation house, the owners had long since fled. I suppose if I were being completely honest with myself looting was the best description of our activities that day. My compatriots, like myself had not long ago finished our time in the army and were short of honest purpose and money. We had broken into a locked room and my companions quickly seized the plate and other silverware stored away from hands such as ours. The book, the book called to me and I felt a buzz of excitement as I held it and as it allowed me to hold it. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>I had resolved to head home to the Hall after I woke up that morning having spent all night and much of the previous day reading the book. My luncheon sat uneaten on the table and the pot of coffee cold to the touch. My mind was a blaze with the possibilities that the book promised but there was much to do to realize those possibilities. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>I gathered up my few possessions into my leather bag, the book I stored in a pocket inside my coat. I settled my account at the hotel and made my way to the railroad and bought a ticket home. My unshaven appearance must have some cast suspicious looks at me, but their opinions were unimportant compared to the book. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>As I sat and watched the country flash past my fellow passengers tried to engage me in conversation, but I was too absorbed by the book to acknowledge them. Reading and re-reading passages to ensure I had correctly divined their meaning. There was much to do once I reached home, plans to prepare, and supplies to procure. </i>
</p>
<p>“Does it say anything about the tentacled things?”</p>
<p>“Not at the beginning, how about this section” Laura scrolls past a few pages before reading again.</p>
<p>
  <i>Although there periods of time I cannot remember, there are some I am conscious of and can remember the events that occurred. It Is as if I am in the audience watching my life being played out before me. I see myself conversing with family, friends, and strangers, watching as one of the cellars is converted into a workshop. All the time I can only watch and observe as my life carries on without me. </i>
</p>
<p>“Hmm, no. I think that this might be it” and Laura reads from another passage.</p>
<p>
  <i>This morning I awoke feeling more exhausted than usual, I was sat on chair in the workshop I looked at my hands and they were covered in dried blood. I rose on unsteady feet to find the bowl and ewer to wash them. The door to the workshop opened as I was drying my hands, I turned to find Will Purdue, one of the estate workers, stood before me. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i> “Allow me to guide you back to your quarters Magus” I was unresponsive as he guided me out of the workshop and through the quiet house to my rooms. All I could remember of that journey were the spiritual arms protruding from his shoulders, reaching out to touch the walls. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i> “The ceremony went well Magus although you must refine it if we are to expand our numbers without exhausting you”. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>I stood gaping at him as I watch spiritual arms reach from his shoulders to touch the ones reaching out from my body. </i>
</p>
<p>“Yes, that’s it. We really need the book Charles refers to. I would guess that Jonathon has found it.”</p>
<p>“This bit is ominous!” Laura finds another page and continues reading.</p>
<p>
  <i>Last night I watched as Will and myself toiled in the workshop, on the bench before them a creature that was all arms writhed. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“That time was better Magus you have created the guardian without exhausting yourself. Soon we will be ready to call the Old Gods back to this world!” </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>”Yes, Will, soon.” I saw myself raise a stoppered glass bottle to the light, inside the bottle about a half dozen things like spiders crawled. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i> “These drones when matured will give us influence and a degree of control over the subjects bringing them to our cause and increasing our numbers and our power. The Old Ones will be pleased.” </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i> “Magus, remember that the drones will need time to grow within the subject before we can turn the subject to the cause. But we have time for the stars are right and we can perform the last Ceremony.” </i>
</p>
<p>“Here is the last entry.”</p>
<p>
  <i>In my dreams I see myself standing before a huge crowd, they are chanting and waving their arms like wheat moving before in a summer’s breeze. I see myself raise my arms, the chanting and waving stops, and the crowd turn their faces towards me in anticipation. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>The crowd raise their faces and look to the skies; above the crowd the stars move and swirl as if a giant lens has been moved across the sky to focus on one red star. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Tonight, will be the great Rejoining.” </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“We will be reunited” I hear myself call out. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Suddenly I am falling, the ground rushing up to greet me and I wake up with a start my body drenched with cold sweat. </i>
</p>
<p>“And that’s it, there’s nothing else. It does read like the ravings of a mad man, Carm.” Laura closed the last of the scanned pages before continuing.<br/>“Well, it’s not explicit we’ll just have to ask Jonathon Fanshaw for the details, but it looks as if Charles Fanshaw found himself in possession of a book that seems to have affected his mind.”<br/>“and made him vanish?”<br/>“Either that or he actually used the ceremony to commune with the Old Gods. It’s more likely that the family became embarrassed by his raving and quietly locked him away.”<br/>“Yet, the tentacle monsters are real, we’ve seen them.”<br/>Laura sighed “Sadly for my rational explanation, that’s true.”<br/>“Looks like we have a field trip!”<br/>“So, the plan is to just walk to Jonathon and ask him if he has seen any tentacle monsters recently and is planning a ceremony.” Asks Laura.</p>
<p>“Well, we are employed by his sister to investigate his well-being, so maybe leave the tentacle monster questions until later in the conversation.”</p>
<p>“If we leave shortly, we’ll be there by mid-afternoon, talk to him and be back home by early evening.”</p>
<p>OK, what do we need? Do you have a list of questions to ask?”</p>
<p>“I’ll need my tablet and notebook. I can write some questions during the trip if you drive. It’s a pity the prods are too big to fit in the car.”</p>
<p>“You get your things, I’ll sort out the prods” Carmilla heads for the lab whilst Laura searches the office for her tablet, charger cable and a notebook ignoring the sounds coming from the lab. She quickly stuffs these items in her bag and heads out into the corridor. Carmilla is standing there looking smug with two shorted prods, one end of each shows signs of being recently snapped.</p>
<p>“I think these will fit the truck now. I told Laf where we’re going” She holds out her hand and Laura hands over the keys.</p>
<p>The trip to Fanshaw Hall is quite short and once they leave the city and the major routes, they pass through a number of small towns. Laura enjoys watching the trees and fields pass by. She looks down at the notepad and is happy with the questions she has jotted down.</p>
<p>The route to Fanshaw Hall is highlighted on the tablet and there are not too many turn-offs before they get there. Carmilla has been quiet for most of the trip. </p>
<p>“You OK, Carm?” she asks.</p>
<p>“Yes Cutie, it’s just that there are too many trees and too much wildlife out here. I prefer the city.”</p>
<p>Laura pats her thigh. “Don’t worry about the green stuff I’ll protect you!”</p>
<p>Carmilla laughs, covers Laura’s hand with her own and relaxes a bit.</p>
<p>Before long they pass through Harburg and head out of town to the Hall. Carmilla drives slowly looking for the Hall.</p>
<p>“That must be it” calls Laura as she points to a stone gateway with two open wooden gates. Carmilla slows further and turns to drive through the gate way. The road to the hall is graveled leads them past some overgrown topiary sitting among lawns that have not been mowed in a very long time.</p>
<p>Carmilla drives round the gravel turning circle and pulls up in front of the ivy-covered house.</p>
<p>“Well, this is it Cupcake, is it what you expected?”</p>
<p>“Not really, but let’s go” Laura gathers her things and gets out of the car. Carmilla follows her and stands and stares at the front of the hall for a few seconds before following her.</p>
<p>Laura walks up the steps and bangs on the door using the large ornate knocker.</p>
<p>After few moments, the door is opened by Jonathon Fanshaw, who looks disheveled, his hair is sticking out in random directions and he has not shaved for a few days.</p>
<p>“Hello?” he asks.</p>
<p>“Hi, I’m Laura Hollis and this is my partner Carmilla Karnstein. We have been asked by your sister to check on you. She is concerned for your well-being” Laura introduces them brightly.</p>
<p>“Ah, Astrid, well you’d better some in. Welcome.” He stands to one side and ushers them into the hallway. </p>
<p>“Follow me, I’ll show you to the drawing room and I’ll fetch us some tea. Then you can tell me about Astrid’s concerns.” He leads them down a dimly lit corridor and then into a large bright room with a view of the front lawn.</p>
<p>“Please, do sit down. The tea will be ready in a moment or two” and with that he leaves them, they can hear his steps echoing down the corridor.</p>
<p>“Well?” Laura asks.</p>
<p>“No sign of any tentacles on him, what does you phone show you? “</p>
<p>Laura swung her phone around the room, “Everything looks normal, but he could do with getting in a cleaner.”</p>
<p>Carmilla nods in agreement and when she hears the ‘tap tap’ of approaching footsteps. “He’s coming back.”</p>
<p>Laura sits down, raising a small cloud of dust and gets out her notepad. Carmilla was examining a portrait of a, presumably, long dead ancestor when the door opens, and Jonathon enters bearing a large tray laden down with a fine china tea service.</p>
<p>He sets the tray down on a small table and begins to fuss over the teapot. “Milk and sugar?” he asks.</p>
<p>“Just milk, thank you” responds Carmilla as she walks over and sits down next to Laura.</p>
<p>“Both please” answers Laura.</p>
<p>Jonathon pours milk into each of the teacups followed by the tea, he added a spoonful of sugar to Laura’s cup and passes them over. </p>
<p>“Please help yourselves to biscuits while you tell me about Astrid’s concerns.” He takes a sip of his tea, Laura and Carmilla mirror him and take sips.</p>
<p>Laura opens her notepad and reaches for the biscuits. She feels woozy as she leans back, the room spins, and she faints. As Carmilla gets up to help her she topples over as her legs no longer seem to work and she collapses next to Laura. The teacups clatter on the floor.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. III</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Laura and Carmilla wake up in a field early in the morning with no idea of where they are or how they got there.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>III</b>
</p><p>Carmilla snapped her eyes wide open and sat up quickly, expecting an attack, she hissed as her fangs descended. She whipped her head left and right looking for a threat but there was nothing, no danger, no threat. </p><p>Laura! </p><p>She looked around more carefully and there was Laura lying peacefully asleep beside her. Carmilla relaxed slightly knowing that Laura was safe.</p><p>Confident that they were in no immediate danger, she let Laura sleep. She had other things to worry about. Like where were they? Why did she wake up in a field? Why had seen been unconscious? Why could she not remember even going to this field? And where the hell was their car?</p><p>Carmilla resolved that someone was responsible for this and she was going to make them regret it, but first she had to make contact with someone, anyone, outside of this field.</p><p>She reached back to pull her phone out of her pocket, but it wasn’t there. After checking her other pockets and her jacket she couldn’t find it. Looking around there it was on the grass beside her. Picking it up she almost dropped it again as it was icy cold to the touch, the screen was blank. She glared at it and randomly pressed the buttons and poked the screen in the hope that it would spring to life, but it sat lifelessly in her hand. Since glaring at it refused to shame it into action, she huffed and put it in her jacket.</p><p>Looking around, it was just a field, surrounded by tall hedges with small green leaves with a few yellow flowers poking up out of the long grass under the hedges. The grass in the field was cropped short in an irregular fashion and the land slopped gently down away from where she was sat. At the bottom of the slope was a gate and a way out.</p><p>Leading from the gate up to where she was sat were tracks in the dew that covered the grass. So, someone else had been here. The tracks ended where she and Laura were and did not continue further up the slope.</p><p>“Baa”</p><p>The noise alerted Carmilla to the other occupants of the field. There were some sheep gathered in one corner of the field under a large tree, they seemed to be deciding if Carmilla was something to eat, be scared of or to be ignored. At the moment they were taking the third option and looked at the interlopers in their field with ovine indifference. Carmilla tried to remember what she knew about sheep. Some of them were quite big scruffy looking creatures, however they didn’t look too dangerous. But so long as they stuck to their corner Carmilla was going to ignore them as well. She was sure they weren’t dangerous. Almost sure anyway.</p><p>Beyond the hedges at the bottom of the field, Carmilla could see a few rooftops adorned with chimneys. So, it looked as if there was a village nearby. A village meant people and hopefully people meant working telephones. And hopefully a few answers.</p><p>Looking at the sky a red glow lit one horizon as the sun began to make its presence felt through the clouds, it was far too early for her to be awake. She reached for her phone before remembering its reluctance to work. So, it was early and sometime just after dawn. Marvelous!</p><p>Sitting in the field Carmilla with her arms wrapped around her knees she was amazed at how quiet it was, there were few early birds looking for some luckless early worms and the sound of the sheep munching on the grass. But no other sounds. If she concentrated, she could hear Laura’s steady heartbeat and relaxed breathing. Surely, there had to be people up and about, even in the countryside, didn't the sheep need feeding or herding or whatever it was you did with sheep?</p><p>But for the fact that she didn't know where she was or why she was there it was almost relaxing. It was very odd they there were no sounds from the village, or even cars passing in the distance. Nothing just silence. She sat there in the early morning silence waiting for Laura to wake up.</p><p>Carmilla notices a change to Laura’s heartbeat and turns to watch as Laura wakes up, her eyes open slowly and then widen dramatically as she sees the sky above her. After a second Laura sits bolt upright and looks around in panic.</p><p>"Carm! Where are we? How did we get here? Are we dead? Why is everything green? Carm, what's happening? My dad warned me that something like this would happen and now I don't have his bear spray. Oh my god we're going to die! Where are we?"</p><p>"Shush, cutie, take a breath" Carmilla softly interrupted Laura's flow of words and reached across to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder.</p><p>Laura takes deep breath and then another, Carmilla squeezes her shoulder before she can hyperventilate and feeling Laura relax, she lets go. Laura reaches into her pocket for her phone and not finding it goes through the same pantomime of checking her other pockets that Carmilla did earlier.</p><p>“It’s on the grass cupcake” Carmilla prompts and points at Laura’s phone, Laura reaches for her phone dropping it immediately she picks it up.</p><p>“it’s frozen” she says examining at her fingers for blisters.</p><p>“I know, mine was as well and it’s dead.” </p><p>“Where are we Carm? Are we safe?”</p><p>“I don’t know! We’re somewhere in the countryside but other than that I don’t know. We are alive, well technically you are, so that’s good.” Carmilla tries to reassure her. “There is a village over there, we can go and investigate when you are ready.”</p><p>While they are talking the sheep have been moving across the field looking for fresh grass. One lamb moving inquisitively ahead of the flock gets very close to Laura and bleats at her. Laura screams and jumps into Carmilla’s lap "A monster! Carm do something, get rid of it!"</p><p>"They're not dangerous, Cupcake. Look it's run off" Carmilla holds Laura tightly and points at the retreating lamb. Laura looks around and indeed the lamb had run off. It stops next to a large sheep which stares menacingly at Laura.</p><p>“What are we going to go? Where are we?” Laura shivers in Carmilla embrace and questions her with a rising panic in her voice.</p><p>"Cu.."</p><p>Will the monsters attack?"</p><p>"Cuti..."</p><p>"Why isn't my phone working, Carm, you know I charge it every day”</p><p>"LAURA" Carmilla shouts, silencing the birds, causing the sheep to run for cover and snapping Laura out of her panic.</p><p>"Take a breath, you’re safe. I’ve got you"</p><p>Laura snuggles closer to Carmilla and tries to calm her breathing. Carmilla continues to reassure her “There are no monsters here, they are just sheep. We’re going to be OK. Just stay still for a minute” Carmilla strokes Laura’s back and continues to whisper that she was safe.</p><p>When Laura had calmed down, she kisses Carmilla “Thank you” She stands up and looks around the field. “Let’s ask in the village if anyone can tell us where we are”. Carmilla nods in agreement and gets to her feet. She takes Laura by the hand and they begin walking down the slope towards the gate. As they walk Carmilla points out where the tracks in the dew had been.</p><p>Carmilla stops them before they reach the gate, pointing to the muddy ground and the non-sheeplike tracks in the dirt.</p><p>“Look at those footprints in the mud, who ever put us in the field wore human boots” Laura points out hopefully.</p><p>“Assuming they were made this morning, cupcake” Carmilla answers more realistically as the prints could be days old.</p><p> </p><p>Tiptoeing across the least damp parts of the mud they reach the gate and open the simple latch that is holding it closed and just like that they are out of the field. The other side of the gate is an asphalt road leading the direction of the village one way and off into deeper country the other.</p><p>There are also several sets of muddy prints that head into the road from the field and separate into two separate tracks about seven feet apart. The prints bunch up and overlap before stopping completely as if their owners had simply vanished.</p><p>Laura runs over to the point that the tracks stop and looks up searching the skies for a clue. As she is twirling around Carmilla joins her in the middle of the road.</p><p>“Well, it looks as if they got into a car” she says as she looks at the footprints.</p><p>“Yes, that’s what I thought” Laura adds sheepishly and deciding not to mention her spaceship theory.</p><p>Camilla stood in the road and looked left and right “Village or elsewhere?”</p><p>“Village” answered Laura and she took Carmilla’s hand and they began walking towards the village.</p><p>“So, what’s the last thing you remember cutie?”</p><p>“I can remember you, so it must be affecting short term memory”</p><p>“Good things?”</p><p>Laura has a flash of memory, Carmilla lying back on a pillow, her hair sprayed out around her head smiling up at her. She blushes as she says “yes, good things”</p><p>“Well, nothing around here seem familiar”</p><p>“I remember Laf shouting about discovering something, but then they do that all the time” Laura adds and continues trying to remember the last couple of days, but all she gets are fragments.</p><p>“You were moaning about us binge watching something.”</p><p>“Yes, you were too invested in those superhero shows.”</p><p>“But Batwoman is cool!” Laura protests.</p><p>“Yes, you fell asleep to Batwoman and I remember forcing you to bed. Never a bad thing” she smirks.</p><p>“But you were nagging because we had to get up early”</p><p>“The client meeting, you got dressed up for it.”</p><p>“The posh woman”</p><p>Carmilla stops and holds Laura’s hand up and looks at her nails. “You did your nails before we left for the office, look they have not grown very much, so we’ve not lost more than a day or two at most”</p><p>“Cupcake, can you remember anything about the posh client? What did she want?”</p><p>“Not much, something about her brother, I think?</p><p>They walk to the village past a few small houses that looked empty and given the hour unlit, there were no cars parked in driveways. All the houses they pass look cold and quiet as if they have been abandoned.</p><p>“Carm, look! I can see people sat outside that café, perhaps they can help us”</p><p>Laura slips her hand free from Carmilla’s and rushes towards the café, asking questions as she goes. </p><p>“Excuse me, can you help us? We’re lost and need directions can you help? Can you tell us where we are?”</p><p>None of the people sat at the outside table move or give any indication that they have heard Laura even though she is almost at the table. Carmilla hurries to catch up, this set up looks suspicious to her and she is skeptical about their being people sat at a café. Her shadow stretches before her indicating it must be early morning, so why are people sat outside a café at this hour?</p><p>Laura reaches the closest man who was sat with his back to her. Determined to have him at least acknowledge her presence she reaches out and grabs his shoulder and give is as gentle tug. He turns slowly on his seat and then collapses in a heap at her feet. His head rolls to face Laura revealing his face to be nothing more than a plastic mask in the shape of a horse.</p><p>Laura lets go of him and screams. Carmilla comes up behind her and wraps her arms around a shaking Laura</p><p>“I’ve got you cupcake” whispers Carmilla gently “It’s OK”</p><p>When Laura has gotten over her shock Carmilla squats down and examines the figure.</p><p>“Is he dead?” asks Laura.</p><p>“Not in the slightest cutie. Look he’s just a scarecrow” Carmilla says as she pulls straw out of the figure’s shirt and lets it drop to the ground. Watching the straw float away on the gentle breeze before standing up.</p><p>“Let’s check the others”</p><p>The other ‘people’ at the café are also straw filled scarecrows and all have the same plastic horse head mask.</p><p>“What’s frilly hell is going on here, Carm”</p><p>“maybe it’s some arcane countryside tradition” Carmilla responds but is not really convinced. She has never come across anything like this before. She glances at the café, but it is shut and there are no lights on.</p><p>“Let’s check out more of the village cupcake and see if we can find someone to speak to”</p><p>Laura walks up to the café and tries to look inside. “Look, there’s another one in here” </p><p>Carmilla joins her at the café window and there stood in the corner of the café is another of the scarecrows. Apart from the scarecrow the café looks normal, there are small tables with red checked tablecloths, a coffee machine behind the counter, a menu written in English with prices in dollars. </p><p>“Check out the menu cutie. So, some good news we can’t be too far from home.” Carmilla points to the menu.</p><p>Laura just shrugs “OK, I want to check out the rest of the village there are some more stores over there.” And with that she heads off into the village, Carmilla follows running several worrying scenarios through her head to explain the scarecrows.</p><p>As they walk away from the café and further into the village, they find more scarecrows, in shop windows, in gardens, and other seemingly random points around the village. There are a mix in male and female clothing, there are even, very worryingly, some child sized scarecrows. Some dressed in modern, contemporary clothes others in a mishmash of historical costumes. All have the same horse-faced plastic faces.</p><p>“Well, we have the place to ourselves, unless you count our straw filled friends.” Carmilla looked up and down the main street, well the only street. At one end she could see the café and in the other direction there were a few more houses and then more fields. A few side roads completed the village. It really wasn’t very big.</p><p>“I’m going to investigate some more, are you coming?” Laura asks.</p><p>“Knock yourself out but don’t go too far, I’ll be back at the café.</p><p>Laura rushes off knocking on doors, calling out and peeking in windows. Cupping her hands over her face to try to get a better view into the closed-up shops. Carmilla watches her for a minute before deciding to head back to the café. Before she could go far something catches her eye and brings a smile to her lips. So, there was something good about this village after all!</p><p>When Laura had finished banging on doors and looking in windows, feeling very frustrated she returns to the café to find Carmilla sitting calmly outside the cafe reading a book. </p><p>“Where did you get that” she screeches.</p><p>Slowing marking her page, Carmilla looks up and calmly says "the library"</p><p>"My god did you break into the library and steal a book, we'll be locked up for ever, why did you do that? What Library?”</p><p>"Cutie, it's not like that, there's a library over there" pointing down the street towards a small row of stores. " and its open"</p><p>"I've looked in all of those stores, none of them is a library”</p><p>"Cupcake, it's outside the post office. It’ not a problem. Sit down for a minute”</p><p>Laura stomps over and sits on the bench next to Carmilla, seeing that she can’t keep still Carmilla puts her book down and wraps one arm around Laura’s shoulders and pulls her close. Holding her until Laura’s breathing calms and she relaxes and then reaches around to returns the hug. They sit like this for a few moments in the silent deserted village as if everything was normal.</p><p>“it’s going to be OK”</p><p>“thank you”</p><p> Carmilla kisses the top of Laura’s head “Come on I want to show you something”</p><p>Carmilla gets up and leads Laura back down the street towards the Post Office. Sure enough on a pillar there is a dark green metal box painted with brightly colored flowers with a sign on top of it that reads ‘Little Free Library’. Laura stares at the box and the two rows of books visible through the glass paneled door. Carmilla calmly opens the door and puts her book back on the top shelf. Grinning, she reaches in and picks out another book.</p><p>“Here this is the book for you” holding the ‘The Little Book of Calm’ out towards Laura.</p><p>Laura huffs loudly and glares at Carmilla arms folded until the book is returned to the Library.</p><p>Carmilla smiles at her “Did you find anything?”</p><p>“No, just empty houses and more scarecrows, they’re everywhere”</p><p>Carmilla notices a vending machine fixed to the wall of the Post Office, Next to a noticeboard board with adverts for village fetes and other events. “You need something to eat, cutie, have you got any change?” She watches in horror as Laura selects some chocolate bars and a can of soda. Using the money in her own pockets she buys a couple of energy bars and stuffs them in her pockets.</p><p>Satisfied that Laura will have something ‘proper’ to eat, Carmilla leads them back to the café to sit down and address their situation.</p><p>Laura is partway through a candy bar when her phone rings, she stares at the thing in disbelief while it continues ringing.</p><p>“Answer it, cutie, who is it?” prompts Carmilla</p><p>“Hi Laf!” Laura answers the call on puts it on speaker “I’m here with Carm”</p><p>“Are you OK? I’ll get Perry she was so worried about you when we couldn’t get hold of you last night”</p><p>“We’re OK, just a bit lost and confused.”</p><p>“Sweetie are you hurt? Do you need help?” the worry in Perry’s voice is obvious over the speaker.</p><p>“We’re fine Perry, just lost and I can’t find my car.”</p><p>“I can help with the first bit, and possibly the second bit. You’re in a town called Harburg at the Harburg Café. Give me a second and I’ll locate your car.”</p><p>Laura’s face floods with relief, whilst Carmilla frowns “How did you do that Laf?” she growls at the phone.</p><p>“Err, small confession, I may have planted trackers on your phones” </p><p>“WHAT!!” Shrieks Perry, Carmilla raises and eyebrow at Laura.</p><p>“And when your phones stopped responding last night, I knew something was up. I know how obsessive you are about charging your phone Laura. I activated the tracker sewn into Karnstein’s jacket”</p><p>“LAFONTAINE, you cannot plant bugs on our friends” Perry’s scream of horror makes Laura jump and almost drop her candy.</p><p>So, full disclosure, there is also a tracker in their car. Which is like nowhere near them.”</p><p>“WHERE.IS.IT?  We will be taking about this later” Carmilla rips off her jacket and snarls at the phone.</p><p>Laf gulps and whispers “In the seam at the front near the zipper” </p><p>Carmilla pulls out a knife and attacks the lining of her jacket and pulls out a small electronic device the size of a large coin. She drops the device on the table before smashing it with the butt of the knife.</p><p>Laura picks up her phone before it can become the next electronic victim of the vampire’s wrath and opens a map app.</p><p>“Laf, where’s the car?” she asks as calmly as she can.</p><p>“A place called Fanshaw Hall about two miles from you.”</p><p>Laura fiddles with the zoom on her phone and finds Fanshaw Hall.</p><p>“Thanks, Laf, found it. We be in touch later. Tell Perry not to worry.”</p><p>Laura hangs up and puts her phone away before turning to a still angry looking Carmilla. Turning Carmilla’s face towards her own, she kisses her.</p><p>“They were only looking out for us, Carm because they care” Laura reassures her watching as Carmilla calms down</p><p>“Shall we go and get the car? It’s in the direction back past the field where we woke up”</p><p>“OK, but finish your ‘lunch’ first” Carmilla indicates the half-eaten candy bar in Laura’s hand.</p><p>So, they walk along a country lane, birds sing in the trees, they are startled as a rabbit dashes across the road but otherwise it is a pleasant walk in the sunshine.</p><p>The road swerves around the foot of a hill as they follow the road another hill is revealed and there on the hilltop is giant wooden figure of a man silhouetted against the skyline.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. IV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>IV</b>
</p><p>“Wow, what’s that” gasps Laura shocked by the sight of the giant wooden figure on the hillside in front of her.</p><p>“Nothing good I should think. Let’s get out of sight.”</p><p>Carmilla quickly leads Laura off the road and into a field. Keeping the hedgerow between them and the figure they walked along the hedge to get closer to the figure. Their path leads them up the slope closer to the figure, they walked until the field ran out at another hedgerow. Pushing through the plants, they find a vantage point from which to observe the workers. They are so close that they could hear the workers calling to one another above the dull thumps of their hammers.</p><p>Laura watches intently as the workers add more and more material to the figure, she estimates that they would be finished before the end of the day.</p><p>“Carm, what happens when they finish?”</p><p>“I think that they will begin their ceremony or whatever Fanshaw has planned.”</p><p>“And then what?”</p><p>“That all depends on if we believe that Fanshaw is right and he can commune with the Old Gods. In which case, nothing good will come from him completing the ceremony.”</p><p>“Then we have to stop him Carm!”</p><p>“Let’s wait and see what happens. We’ll need to see what this ceremony is. I’ll watch them, you get some rest.” Carmilla pulls Laura closer to her as she settles down to watch the activity through the hedge.</p><p>Carmilla watches the workmen as they complete the construction of the wooden figure with a fan of tentacles framing its head, as entertainment it is a non-starter the constant hammering develops onto a hypnotic rhythm and she can feel Laura sleeping beside her. The workmen finish their task by piling bales of hay and bundles of wood chopped into kindling at the base of the figure.</p><p>Her study of the activity allows her to determine who Fanshaw’s key lieutenants are based on who gets to talk to him and who he talks to. There are only two men he talks for any length of time.</p><p>By early evening activity on the figure has halted and a tent and other structures are being built lower down the hill in front of the figure. She spots a stone topped altar and some bonfires that Fanshaw has positioned around the altar.</p><p>Carmilla wakes Laura when she sees a few people gather in front of the tent, they all are wearing plastic horse masks and chanting softly. Slowly more figures join them in front of the tent and adding their voices to the chant.</p><p>“I’ve got an idea. Quickly let’s get back to the village.” They carefully walk down the slope to the road and then dash back along the road towards the village and stop at the café.</p><p>“Grab a mask, cupcake and then we have got get back. We can disguise ourselves as locals.”</p><p>Laura takes a mask from the nearest scarecrow and hands it to Carmilla before taking one for herself. With the masks over their faces they hurry back to join at the rear of the crowd of villagers, slowly mingling with them. Laura tries to keep an eye on Carmilla through her mask, but her vision is limited, so keeping her head down she focuses on Carmilla boots moving alongside her. They follow along with the crowd as they get nearer to the wooden stature.</p><p>Laura’s phone goes off, it’s her dad’s ringtone, he has to ring now of all the times. All the villagers near her stop and look at Laura as the source of the noise, those closest to her reach out to grab her.</p><p>“Cupcake run” screams Carmilla but it is too late as several pairs of hands have already taken hold of Laura. With the crowd alerted to her presence she feels a hand taking a grip of her followed by another. Carmilla struggles out of their grasp and changes into her panther form. As she changes shape the grasping hands lose their grip releasing her, she rears up and slashes out with her claws catching at least one of the villagers.</p><p>The villagers edge away from the wild animal that has suddenly appeared in their midst. The more that Carmilla swipes her claws at the crowd the more they back away. The villagers that have captured Laura move away from the back of the crowd and away from Carmilla, she can hear Laura calling her name. Frustrated Carmilla growls at the crowd and then turns and runs off leaving the villagers bewildered and licking their wounds.</p><p>Laura keeps up her struggle as long as she can, but she was quickly overpowered by the people who have a hold on her arms and legs. As the villagers carry her off, she could he them muttering about a giant cat. Good she thought Carmilla has got away. The giant panther scares the villagers more than the cult leadership.</p><p>As they approach the hilltop, Laura can see Jonathon Fanshaw stood in front on an altar conversing with two other men. When the crowd get closer to Fanshaw, Laura is dropped on the ground at his feet.</p><p>“Magus, we caught a stranger trying to spy on the ceremony” one of the villagers announces.</p><p>Jonathon gloats “You have done well to catch this interloper. It is a sign!”</p><p>“A sign” the crowd chants</p><p>“Take her to the giant, from where she will see the glory of our triumph!”</p><p>The villagers pick up Laura again and drag her off.</p><p>“Where is the other one?” he asks more quietly so that only those closest to him can hear.</p><p>“She was dragged off by a giant cat. It wounded several of the villagers.”</p><p>“A giant cat!” he asks not believing his ears.</p><p>“Watch the edge of the congregation, we can’t risk the ceremony being disturbed.”</p><p>The villagers holding Laura drag her towards the giant wooden figure. Laura struggles in vain as she is carried up the ladders and roughly forced onto a wooden cage within the structure. The door to her cage is shut and padlocked, she throws herself against the door but it does not move. The villagers descend to the field and then drop the ladders on the grass before returning to the crowd.</p><p>With the ladders removed, Laura sits dejectedly in the cage looking out at the crowd hoping to spot Carmilla but there is no sign of her. She hopes Carmilla escaped the crowed and is OK. Not sure what is to become of her, she feels very small and alone she begins to cry.</p><p>Carmilla watches the crowd from the cover of a hedgerow. She can make out three groups of figures. There is the bulk of the crowd who are standing about waiting for something to happen. They have calmed down a bit since they put Laura in the giant wooden figure. Then there are the four large tough looking men who patrol the edge of the fields looking outwards, they are on the alert for any intruders like her. In the center of everything is Jonathon Fanshaw with a small group of figures, they are clustered around the makeshift altar constructed from fresh timbers with a single large flat stone on top. Surrounding the altar are piles of timber and kindling, as she watches the fires are lit in these piles and the light brightens up the hilltop in the growing twilight.</p><p>She creeps around the crowd and comes across some parked-up pickups that have been used carry tools and lumber for the construction work. Opening the toolboxes on the flatbed she finds a heavy canvas tool bag and a set of jumper cables. The cables give her an idea and she forces open the hood of the nearest pickup and rips out the battery and attaches the cables to it. Quickly she removes the insulation from the free ends of the jumper cable. She smiles at the sparks as she touches the free ends of the cable together.</p><p>She sticks everything she needs into the tool bag, slings it over her shoulder and heads back up the hill to the giant figure and its guards.</p><p>There is one guard standing next to the giant. Slowly she walks up to him on silently feet, when she is behind him, she grabs his head and bashes it against the wooden structure. He collapses in an unconscious heap, Carmilla takes a grip of his collar and drags him off to the edge of the field and dumping him by the hedge.</p><p>Carmilla looks around, drops her bag, and begins to climb the structure towards the cage where Laura was being held. The wooden construction provides lots of hand holds and Carmilla makes good progress and is soon level with Laura.</p><p>“Cupcake don’t turn around” Carmilla hisses.</p><p>“Carm, you’re back. What are you doing?”</p><p>“I’m getting you out. Keep watching the crowds”.</p><p>Carmilla takes a closer look at the cage and grasps a vertical beam and begins to pull. As she strains against the beam, she can hear the wood groan and crack. She pauses and pulls again, this time the wood creaks louder than before and she feels it give against the joint, she tugs once again and this time the beam is pulled free at one end. Carmilla changes position and pushes the beam to one side to create a gap, but it was too small for Laura.</p><p>“One down, has anyone noticed?”</p><p>“You’re good to carry on Carm, they’re all focused on Fanshaw.”</p><p>Carmilla pauses and listens, she can hear the crowd chanting in the background and Laura’s rapidly beating pulse as she sits nervously in the cage, but there were no other noises. She looks around just to make sure before shifting herself sideways along the structure to get a better grasp on the next beam.</p><p>This beam was more tightly fixed, and she had to brace herself against a large horizontal beam to get more leverage. The wood moves slightly, so Carmilla renews her grip and pulls again. The beam suddenly springs loose and Carmilla is suddenly pulling against nothing and flies backwards away from the structure and falling through thin air towards the grass.</p><p>Cursing herself for her carelessness she twists cat-like in the air and lands on her hands and feet with a light thump. The beam landing inches away from her, its impact cushioned by the grass. She stays still for a few moments to recover before standing up and brushing her hands clean and begins scrambling back up the side of the wooden figure.</p><p>Once back at Laura’s cage she inspects the damage and estimates the gap should be big enough to let Laura escape.</p><p>“Cupcake, can you crawl backwards towards me?”</p><p>“What happened? I heard the wood give way and then nothing” Laura asked as she begins edging backward to where Carmilla was waiting for her.</p><p>“I was a little too eager to get you out and pulled too hard, its nothing. You’re almost here.”</p><p>Laura has crawled to the back of the cage, Carmilla guided her towards the gap she had created and soon Laura’s feet are over the edge.</p><p>“You’ll have to lie down now and just wriggle backwards. I’ve got you.”</p><p>Laura wriggles some more and stops when her legs are dangling over the drop to the ground. Carmilla grabs the back of Laura’s jeans and pulls her out.</p><p>“Grab hold of me when you’re out.”</p><p>As soon as Laura is free of the cage she reaches out and wraps her arms around Carmilla’s neck.</p><p>“OK, Cupcake now for the hard bit. Hang on”</p><p>With Laura hanging on tightly Carmilla begins to climb slowly down, taking extra care to check her hand and foot holds. The climb takes longer than she would have liked but she needs to make sure that Laura is safe. When she feels her foot touch the ground she begins to relax. Back on solid ground, she lets Laura down and hugs her.</p><p>Thank you, thank you.</p><p>“You’re OK, I’d never let anything happen to you, Cutie.</p><p>“Come on Cupcake, we have to go!” Carmilla takes hold of Laura’s hand, picks up her tool bag and leads them away from the wooden figure and towards edge of the field.</p><p>From the cover of the bushes, they can see Jonathon Fanshaw and the crowd gathering in front of the altar. The crowd is illuminated by the fires that have been lit beside the altar.</p><p>Jonathon is reading from an old book, the crowd are hanging on his every word and joining in by repeating Jonathon’s words as a chant.</p><p>“How will we stop him, Carm?”</p><p>“I was thinking of some sort of distraction, Cupcake and we need to get hold of that book” Carmilla pulls out a lighter and winks at Laura. “Let’s start with that giant statue!”</p><p>Keeping the statue between themselves and the crowd, they creep back to statue. From the base of the statue, Laura and Carmilla have a good view of the altar and Jonathon and his senior acolytes.</p><p>There is a murmur from the crowd and many of them are pointing skywards.</p><p>Laura cranes her neck and watches as the stars move above her as if she is racing towards a giant red star until it is almost hovering above her.</p><p>“Carm” she tugs at Carmilla’s jacket and points towards the sky.</p><p>“I know, Laura, now let’s get this thing burning. Stand back” Carmilla moves slowly around the foot of the statue using her lighter to ignite a few of the bales of hay and bundles of kindling. When she is sure that enough are burning, Carmilla heads back to where Laura is crouching.</p><p>“Come on let’s move before the whole thing goes up” Carmilla takes Laura’s hand and leads her away from the wooden figure with its smoldering base and towards Jonathon Fanshaw’s tent. She keeps the tent between them and the crowd. When they reach the tent, she glances around the edge of the canvas to see Jonathon Fanshaw only a few paces from them.</p><p>The crowd are chanting loudly with their arms raised to the sky Jonathon picks up a bowl from the altar and steps towards the crowd. He pours liquid from the bowl to form a circular puddle on the grass all the time reading aloud from the book.</p><p>He stops reading and raises his arms towards the star, the puddle ignites and glows a dark red before the flames die down. Jonathon beckons one of his acolytes forward, the man walks forward and steps onto the puddle.</p><p>Jonathon begins reading again and the crowd cry out as the acolyte rises from the ground and floats up into the air and when he is about 20 feet above the ground his body releases a stream of colored particles that jet up into the sky. As the stream gets bigger and bigger his body stretches out longer and longer as more of it is converted into the particle stream. The crowd are silenced as they watch in awe as his body is converted completely into the stream which rises into the night sky like a firework and heads towards the red star.</p><p>They follow the particles as they rise until they can no longer be seen. The crowd begins chanting again.</p><p>“Did you see that?” Laura whispers.</p><p>“Yes, I’ll deal with him, you deal with the book” Carmilla pulls the ends of the jumper cable from her pockets and makes sure the tool bag is not going to interfere with her movement.</p><p>“What’s in the bag?”</p><p>Carmilla touches the ends of the cables together, the spark makes Laura jump.</p><p>“I had to improvise!” Carmilla chuckles quietly.</p><p>There is roar as flames race up the wooden figure until it is completely engulfed. The sudden flames and drifting embers from this new fire force some of the crowd to shy away from wooden figure and stop their chanting. There are murmurings among the crowd as a sense of unease spreads among them.</p><p>Jonathon noticing the unease in the crowd raises his arms to the star and calls out. “it is a sign. It is a sign”</p><p>The crowd take up the chant “a sign, it is a sign.”</p><p>Carmilla dashes out from behind the tent and knocks Fanshaw to the ground. As he falls the book is sent flying away from him. Carmilla ends her attack on top of Fanshaw and makes sure his head makes a firm contact with the ground stunning him. She can see the tentacles reaching out for her and she grabs the jumper cables and stabs at them, the shock sends them recoiling away from her. Fanshaw recovers from the shock of being tackled to the ground swings his arms at Carmilla. She punches him, catching him on the chin his eyes roll back into this head and he falls back to the ground unconscious.</p><p>Seeing that the attention of Fanshaw’s acolytes is focused on Carmilla’s attack on their leader, Laura slowly creeps out from behind the tent and crawls slowly towards the book.</p><p>An acolyte rushes forward and jumps on Carmilla’s back as she tries to stand up. She grabs his arm pulling him over back and using his momentum flings him away from her. Snarling she turns to face the remaining acolytes.</p><p>Laura grabs the book off the grass as she takes hold of it, she can hear voices calling to her. She sits there on the grass holding the book not able to move.</p><p>
  <i>the star, home, so close</i>
</p><p>
  <i>it can all be yours, power, and glory all yours</i>
</p><p>
  <i>help us</i>
</p><p>
  <i>all your desires can come true</i>
</p><p>Another acolyte runs in and dives for Carmilla’s legs knocking her off her feet, as she struggles to get away from him Carmilla rolls on to the red puddle.</p><p>She rolls over and looks up, all she can see is the red star and begins to rise into the air as the star pulls her towards it. She feels herself being pulled apart; the agony is like nothing else she has ever felt.</p><p>As she begins to rise, she screams “Laura!”</p><p>Hearing her name breaks Laura out of her trance, there are some things more important than the whisperings of the book. She looks around for Carmilla.</p><p>“Carm, no” she screams as she sees Carmilla being lifted off the ground, her face contorted in pain.</p><p>“The book, destroy the book” begs Carmilla.</p><p>Laura flings the book into the nearest fire, the covers fly apart, and it lands open in the flames. The book quickly catches fire and burns with jets of bright purple flames, as it burns it hisses and pops. As more pages burn the noise gets louder and louder until it is emitting a high-pitched screaming. The crowd stare silently at the burning book.</p><p>Suddenly noise cuts off and the purple flames die down, Carmilla drops to the floor and lands on the grass with a thud. Laura rushes over to her and wraps her arms around her. Laura hugs Carmilla tightly, tears of relief moisten her cheeks.</p><p>”Thank you, Cupcake” she whispers and holds Laura tightly.</p><p>“Are you OK?”</p><p>“I am now, I felt as if I was being sucked down a drain. It was horrible. Thank you.”</p><p>Laura looks up and sees that the sky had returned to normal and the stars are twinkling down at her and Carmilla. Laura cups Carmilla’s face in her hands and kisses her. “We did it Carm”</p><p>“Yes, we did,</p><p>Carmilla looks around the hillside and watches the crowds with suspicion. But with the book destroyed and Fanshaw unconscious whatever hold Fanshaw had over them is broken. The villagers mill about in confusion and talk amongst themselves trying to work out why they are on the hilltop after dark. They stare at the giant burning wooden figure and other smaller fires. Slowly they drift off back to their homes, leaving Laura and Carmilla alone sat on the grass next to the burning structure.</p><p>Slowly Carmilla stands and holds out her hand to Laura who takes it in her own. Carmilla pulls her to her feet.</p><p>“Shall we go?”</p><p>“Yes, but let’s pick up our case first” Laura points out Jonathon Fanshaw.</p><p>They walk over to where Fanshaw is lying on the grass, Carmilla grabs him by his shirtfront and hauls him upright and shakes him. Jonathon groans and Carmilla slaps his face.</p><p>“Carm!” hisses Laura slightly outraged at Carmilla’s behavior.</p><p>“What, he was going to sacrifice you to his Gods” Carmilla looks at Laura with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.</p><p>“Wha  What! Why am I here?” Jonathon mumbles as he regains consciousness. Carmilla lets him go and he falls to the grass.</p><p>“You’ve had a fall, let’s get you back to the Hall” Laura reassures him and offers her hand to help him up.</p><p>Jonathon looks around at the fires not understanding what is going on. “Yes, the Hall.”</p><p>“Follow us, we’re heading that way” Laura says to him as she takes Carmilla’s hand and heads off the hillside towards what she hopes is the hall. Carmilla subtly changes their direction as they walk. Laura turns around to check that Jonathon is following them.</p><p>“By the way, you were wrong he was involved in cult. He was just running it.” Carmilla teases Laura who slaps her arm before taking her hand and interlacing their fingers as they walk across this hillside.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>